


The Best Thing I've Ever Tasted

by dsa_archivist



Category: due South
Genre: M/M, Romance, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1999-06-01
Updated: 1999-06-01
Packaged: 2018-11-11 02:49:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11139633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dsa_archivist/pseuds/dsa_archivist
Summary: Note from Speranza, the archivist: this story was once archived atDue South Archive. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address onDue South Archive collection profile.





	The Best Thing I've Ever Tasted

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Speranza, the archivist: this story was once archived at [Due South Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Due_South_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Due South Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/duesoutharchive).

The Best Thing I've Ever Tasted 

The phrase "Taste me." kept running through my head  
so I had to attach a story to it. Then a scene from Empire of the Sun  
flashed there too and I was off. I hope this story makes sense. I started  
writing the beginning, started writing the middle (couldn't wait to get  
to the good part), wrote the end and then filled in the missing bits.  
Also, I make no claims as to the accuracy of the medical information  
contained herein. I kind of made it up as I went along. This is my first  
attempt at this sort of thing so be kind. Many thanks to my test-readers  
Brenda and Joe. T **his is rated NC-17 and is m/m. You have been**  
warned. The usual disclaimers apply. These boys aren't mine (sigh) but  
this story *is*. 

********************************************************************************* 

# The Best Thing I've Ever Tasted 

By Regina Harley

"Taste me." 

"Excuse me, Ray?" 

"Taste *me*" 

The week started with its normal complement of thieves and murderers. Monday morning a prostitute was found dead, stabbed to death, on 29th street and three liquor stores were robbed over the weekend. After investigating the scene of the murder Fraser thought the evidence indicated that it and the robberies were all done by the same perpetrator. Ray was not convinced. 

"Come on, Benny. Petty crooks don't generally go in for the big boy stuff. Plus, she was killed with a knife and the robbers all had guns. If he had a gun, he would have used that." 

"Yes, Ray. But here, look at the map." 

He pushed the map of the city across Ray's desk. 

"The murder took place in the triangle formed by the three robberies and I found the same type of concrete at the murder site as I did at the third store. I think she was a witness and was threatened to ensure her silence. What if he used the knife because he was just trying to scare her into keeping quiet about what she saw? Something must have gone wrong. We'll have to see what the coroner has to say about time of death." 

Ray hardly heard the last few sentences. "You're trying to tell me that you can distinguish between different types of *cement*. I know you taste everything", at this he made a grimace, "but *cement*?!" 

"Why, yes, Ray. It's not that amazing. The Inuit ..." 

"Oh, God. Here it comes." 

"... have competitions. They take snow from different areas and compete to identify where they came from. Also, it is possible to identify what an animal has been eating by the characteristics of its droppings." 

"That's disgusting!" 

"But it's important Ray. Not only can you determine the general state of the animal population, but if you know what an animal has been eating you can find out where it's been living. And where there's one there's usually more. Medicine men can diagnose their patients by examining their ... " 

"Droppings?" 

"Precisely. As well as smelling their perspiration and urine. And tasting their saliva." 

"That's so gross I don't even want to think about it." 

There was a short silence. But then Ray found himself thinking about it. Found himself thinking about *Benny* doing it. 

"And you say that you can do the same thing?" 

"Yes, Ray. Although," he continued with his usual modest honesty, "I'm not nearly as accomplished as some of the experts. Some of them are purported to be capable of diagnosing fertility problems by examining sexual secretions. 

At this, Ray got an odd look on his face. 

"Are you all right, Ray?" 

"Huh?" Ray came out of his introspection with a start. My God, he thought, what am I doing, this is *Benny* I'm thinking about!. "Yeah, yeah, Benny. Fine ... it's nothing." 

Fraser gave Ray an assessing look but decided to let it go. 

Just then Lt. Welsh yelled out, "Vecchio, Frazer, my office. Now." 

"Great, *now* what?", Ray grumbled as they both hastened to the lieutenant's office. 

The forensics report had just come in. The concrete on the dead woman's shoes matched that of a construction site near one of the liquor stores. Time of death was approximately 11 PM Saturday night. 

"That's just 15 minutes after the third robbery, Ray" 

"Vecchio, I want you and your buddy there immediately. Find out everything you can." 

"Yes, sir", said Ray. "Come on, Benny. Let's talk to the guy behind the counter at that last store." 

The third liquor store clerk remembered seeing the woman, Patti Graham, 32, just before being robbed. 

"Yeah. She bought a fifth of cheap whiskey. That's what she usually gets on a Saturday night. She left and I realized she'd left her keys on the counter. When the bell over the door rang, that means someone's come in, ya know, I thought it was her coming back to get them. Boy, was I bummed to find myself face-to-face with some guy in a mask threatening me with a gun. I never actually *saw* any damn gun, but I don't get paid enough to be a hero, so I gave him the money." 

The next several days were spent combing the neighborhood and reinterviewing the clerks of the other stores. A few helpful facts came to light. All of the robberies were done by white males, with similar distinguishing characteristics. It soon became apparent that they were all done by the same man. In all three cases, a gun was threatened but never shown. 

"See, Ray. He never really had a gun." 

Thursday afternoon the coroner came back with some more information. 

"Miss Graham had a blood alcohol content of 0.04," Benny paused in his reading, "which is below the legal limit but far too high for an epileptic." 

"She had epilepsy!?" 

"Yes, Ray. According to the coroner, her brain showed signs of epilepsy and her liver was starting to show signs of cirrhosis, a sign of alcohol abuse. Plus, that medication we found in her apartment; it was anti-convulsant medication. Alcohol is known to increase the likelihood of seizures. She was found with a half empty bottle of whiskey and she had cuts on her hand. My guess is that she was threatened and, as she was grabbing the perpetrators knife hand, must have gone into a seizure. Her grip could have become so strong and unbreakable that the thief couldn't get away. The coroner thinks she ended up stabbing herself with the knife. The entry wounds are at peculiar angles. When the man saw what had happened he was afraid, so he ran." 

"So it wasn't murder, but he still left the scene of a crime, and we can still get him for armed robbery." 

"Yes, Ray." 

Friday, as Ray was driving Benny home from the consulate, a call came over the police radio that a robbery was going down. Being the closest one to the scene Ray called in his position, swung the car around and took off toward the crime scene. 

"You don't mind coming along for the ride, do ya Fraser?" 

"Certainly not, Ray. I want to catch this man as much as you do." 

They pulled up to the liquor store just as a masked man with a crumpled brown bag was exiting. Ray opened the door, and using it as a shield, pulled out his gun and yelled, "Police! Freeze! Put your hands in the air." 

Instead of obliging, the man turned and started to run back in the store. A shot rang out, and the man fell to the ground, clutching his right leg. Putting away his gun, Ray swiftly ran over and cuffed the writhing man, reading him his Miranda rights as he did so, "You have the right to remain silent..." Meanwhile, Benny went into the store to check and see that everyone was okay. Except for being terrified, everyone in the store was fine. 

* * * * * * 

Tired from the reams of paperwork they had to fill out they went back to Fraser's apartment to grab something to eat. But Ray seemed preoccupied. The conversation was desultory until finally Ray spoke up. 

"Hey, Benny." 

"Yes, Ray" 

"Is it true about the Inuit?" 

"Is what true?" 

"That they can diagnose stuff by tasting stuff?" 

"Yes, Ray." 

"Oh." 

Fraser looked sharply at his friend. He looked a little sad and a little bewildered. But utterly desirable. With his well-tailored grey suit and navy blue silk shirt, he looked good enough to ... well, to eat. Fraser had admitted to himself long ago that he would be more than happy to be Ray's partner in every sense of the word, but his fear of what Ray would think, that he might lose him altogether, kept him from speaking. But now, though... Fraser wasn't sure what gave him this impression but suddenly he got the idea that Ray was thinking the same thing. And that Ray was utterly confused as to what to do about it. 

"Ray, are you okay? I mean, if there's anything I can help you with, please, just ask." 

Ray heaved a resigned sigh, straightened his shoulders and seemed to come to a decision. "Yeah, Benny. I got a problem. A big problem." He gave a small sigh. "You see, ever since you told me about the medicine men there's this one thought, this one *phrase*, that keeps running through my head. I wake up in the morning, there it is. At night , there it is. I could hardly finish this case...", his voice trailed off. 

"Go on. What is it, Ray? What's the phrase?" 

Ray closed his eyes tight, took a deep breath, let it out. Looking up, he looked Fraser straight in the eye and said the words that had tormented him for the last week. 

"Taste me." 

"Excuse me, Ray?" 

"Taste *me*! I want you to taste me, Benny." He closed his eyes, unable to watch the disgust he was sure he would see on his best friend's face, but felt compelled to continue. "Ever since you mentioned the medicine men, I couldn't get the thought out of my head of you tasting me. Finding out all about me with your fingers and nose and tongue. Touching, smelling , ... *tasting* ... I'm sorry, Benny." 

"Ray. Ray, look at me." 

Ray opened his eyes. Not disgust, not disgust at all. Tenderness, happiness .... love?! 

"Ray, I would love to taste you. Anywhere, anyway, for as long as you like." 

He slowly reached out a hand to stroke Ray's cheek. His thumb gently brushed away a tear welling in Ray's eye. 

"Where would you like me to start?" 

"Oh God. Are you sure? God, anywhere you like, Benny." 

"Well, how about at the top?" 

He slowly moved closer, the front of his red serge jacket brushing against Ray's chest. He reached up and gently took Ray's head in his hands and tipped it toward him. Softly, at first, and then more firmly he pressed his nose into Ray's hair. "Shall I report my findings to you, Ray?" 

"That would be fine," Ray breathed. 

"Well, your hair smells faintly of citrus. Orange, if I had to guess. Your shampoo?" 

"Mmmhmm." 

Frazer took a tiny step closer, craned his neck and delicately touched his tongue to Ray's ear. Ray let out a tiny noise. Whispering into his ear, Frazer said, "Tastes like Ivory. With a hint of saltiness. Shall I continue?" 

"Please," Ray said in a small voice. 

Tipping Ray's head back and moving across his face, with the tip of his tongue Frazer stroked Ray's left eye, across the bridge of his nose and then across his right eye, wiping away the remains of Ray's tears of self-doubt. "More saltiness. That's your tears, Ray. They taste like," a deep sigh, "nothing I ever want to taste again." 

Bending slightly, he inhaled a deep breath through his nose while moving down Ray's neck from his ear to his collar. "Hmmm, I smell pine, and musk. Your aftershave, no doubt. Ray, have I ever told you I really like the smell of your aftershave? Now, as for taste," and ran the tip of his tongue from collar to ear, "Oh, nice. A sweet tang from the aftershave and underlying it ... you, Ray. You taste like - oh dear." At this Ray felt Frazer tense. He opened his eyes and looked him in the face. "Benny?," he said with concern, "You okay?" He reached up and covered Fraser's hands with his own. Frazer had his eyes tightly closed, with a look almost of pain on his face. "Benny?" 

"I don't know whether I can do this, Ray." 

"You don't have to ...", Ray started to stammer. But Benny overrode him, "Just the taste of you and I almost ... You taste like all I've ever wanted. I want too much, Ray. I want *all* of you." He opened his eyes. "Can I have all of you, Ray?" he said gently. 

"Of course, Benny. You already do." and closed the small distance between their mouths. 

Kissing Ray was everything Benny had dreamed. Kissing Benny was better than Ray ever expected. 

As their tongues entwined, their hips naturally drifted into contact. The fact of each others intense arousal broke through the pleasure of the kiss like a lightning bolt. Both men let out surprised moans and broke apart, staring at each other in wonder. Ray brought his hand up to run his fingers through Benny's hair. Then the other hand came up and they tightly gripped Fraser's head so he could bring him closer for another soul-searing kiss. 

"Hey, Benny," Ray said a bit breathlessly, once they broke apart for some much needed air, "aren't you going to taste the rest of me??" 

"Ray, I would like to spend the rest of my life doing just that. But first I need to remove a few obstacles. Now, don't move." 

With that, he pushed Ray's jacket off of his shoulders and down his arms. When it was free, he carefully hung it over a chairback. Then he went to work on the shirt. When it was hanging unbuttoned, Frazer stepped closer, and with a quiet order of "Tilt your head back" wrapped his arms around his friend and took short quick tastes from chin to breast bone. "Delicious" was the only report. Bending his knees slightly, he stuck his nose under Ray's arm and sampled the bouquet. "I smell, hmmm, fear. Ray, I smell fear. Are you afraid of me?", he said with surprise. 

"Not you, Benny. But - the situation. I've, I've never done anything like this before." He hurried to add, "Not that everything so far hasn't been wonderful. It has. Beyond my dreams. I just..." he trailed off. 

"Ray," Frazer whispered, "we don't have to do anything you don't want to do. Just let me know. We can stop at any time." He continued, "This is new to me too, you know." 

"Oh God, I thought at least one of us knew what he was doing," Ray replied, a hint of humor coloring his voice. 

"It's okay. We'll figure it out together. Now, where was I? Oh, yes." 

He pushed Ray's shirt off so that it hung by the cuffs from his hands. Taking his right hand in his own, he unbuttoned, the cuff and pulled the arm free. He took another long breath of Ray's scent. "Ah, less fear, good. More ... hmmm, what is that. Ahh, arousal, that's it! Very good. Now to taste." Holding Ray's arm out straight he licked from the inside of his elbow to under his arm. "Now the same for the other side," he murmured almost to himself, and proceeded to free the other arm and taste it in the same manner. 

"Benny?", came the choked reaction. 

"Yes, Ray?" 

"Do... do you think I could taste *you*?" 

"If you'd like, Ray." 

"Oh, yes. Yes, please. But you're gonna hafta get rid of that jacket first." 

"No sooner said than done, Ray." 

With deft hands he undid the red serge jacket and slipped it off. "Just let me hang this up." But just then he found himself pushed with his back to the wall, by a very determined Italian. 

"Do you *have* to do that right now, Benny?" 

But Fraser was unable to reply as his mouth was suddenly very occupied with an Italian tongue. The coat fell unheeded to the floor as, for probably for the first time in his life, Benton Fraser did not pay proper respect to his uniform. It suddenly seemed much more important to get as close to his best friend as humanly possible. Chest to chest, thigh to thigh, mouth to mouth. Wrapping their arms around each other, the two men sucked and nibbled and gnawed , ... and *tasted* each other for long glorious minutes. Finally, needing air, they pulled back. Ray looked down at Fraser's shirt and then at his own naked chest. 

"You still have too much on." 

"Understood, Ray." 

"Let me." 

Starting at the top button, Ray slowly undid Fraser's shirt, putting a licking sucking kiss on each new spot he uncovered. When he reached Fraser's belt, he faltered. 

"It's okay, Ray. That's enough for now. Now it's my turn again. Turn around." 

With that, he slowly directed Ray to face the other way, and wrapped his arms around his friend, loosely pinning his arms. Being slightly taller, he had to bend slightly to tuck his face in Ray's neck. Tasting and sucking his way down Ray's back, he slowly came to a kneeling position, licking the small of Ray's back. He then urged Ray to turn around again, so his face was at Ray's belly, while Ray's arms came around to tenderly cradle Benny's head. He rested there a moment, breathing in the scent of his friend, his partner, and now, hopefully, his lover. 

"Ray?" 

"Yes, Benny?" 

"I love you." 

"I love you, too, Benny." It seemed so easy to say now. He couldn't imagine why it had taken him so long. 

"I want ..." 

"Want what, Benny?" 

With a sigh, Benny stood up and cupped Ray's face with he hands. "I want *you*, Ray," he said urgently, "All of you. Can I have all of you?" 

"You already asked me that, Benny, and I already said you already do." 

"I just wanted to make sure." 

"Well, I do have one condition." 

"What's that, Ray?", Benny said with a slight note of concern. 

"That I get you, too." 

"Ray, I'm yours for as long as you want me. I think I've been yours for a very long time." 

"I want you, Benny," Ray whispered, gently bumping their hips together, "Now, please." 

"Then come here." And led him to his bed. "Sit down." 

When Ray had done so, he gracefully knelt and removed Ray's shoes and socks. With both hands he brought one of Ray's feet to his face, causing Ray to have to recline on the bed. 

"You know, Ray, it's possible to discover all sorts of things by examining a foot." 

"Is that right, Benny." 

"Oh, yes. Let's see. Hmmm, you use baby powder, very wise. No athlete's foot for my Ray. Toenails in good shape. A few calluses. To be expected for a police officer. Whoops, a bit ticklish, are we?" 

"Arrg, stop that. Come here." And roughly pulled Benny up on top of him. "Hey, you still have that stupid shirt on." 

"Ray, a shirt is inanimate. It can therefore not possess any degree of intelligence." 

"Benny, shut up and kiss me," he said pulling him closer. 

"Yes, Ray," he managed to get out before their lips met and merged. Tongues reached out and explored. Teeth, palate, gums. 

"Oh, Ray, you taste so good," Benny moaned. He began to struggle out of his shirt. Ray helped and soon it was on the floor. The sensation of naked chest rubbing against naked chest caused two sighs to drift through the room. Benny rolled them over so that they were lying side by side on the bed, with their arms around each other. 

"I never tasted your chest, Ray," Fraser got out in between kisses. 

"Well, we can't let your survey be incomplete now, can we?" 

"My thought exactly. But why don't we get rid of the rest of these clothes. I wouldn't want to have to interrupt my fact-finding mission." 

"Good idea. Race ya!" 

Simultaneously they scrambled off the bed and began to frantically divest themselves of belts and pants. As Fraser reached for his white briefs and Ray for his silk boxers, they suddenly realized the magnitude of the step they were about to take and their hands slowed and came to a stop. Straightening they moved toward each other as one. Wrapping their arms around each other they exchanged a deep, tender kiss. Then, holding each other's gaze, they reached for the other's remaining covering and slowly pulled it down as far as their arms could reach. Holding each other's hands, they stepped back and kicked their way free. Then they allowed their gazes to drift down to take the first admiring look of each other. 

"God, you're so beautiful," was forced from Ray. 

"You're everything I could want, Ray. Come to me, my love," he said, pulling him closer and wrapping his arms around him. The feel of his love's arousal sent a wave of desire through him. "Come, let's lie down. I'm not sure how much longer I can stand." Leading Ray to the bed, they lay down with their arms around each other. 

"Now, where was I?" murmured Benny, "Oh, yes. Well, I might as well start at the top." 

He began by covering Ray's face with tiny licks followed by tiny kisses. Forehead, eyebrows, over to the cheeks, back up to gently lip at his eyelashes, then a long, wet swipe down his nose. At this Ray gave a twitch. "Do you know how long I've wanted to do that, Ray? I love your nose. It's so regal." Before Ray could respond, a tongue swiped across his lips, first the upper, then the lower. Then a long sucking, biting kiss on his chin. Down his neck, where he found a spot that made Ray shudder. 

"Is that a good place or a bad place?" 

"Oh, good, definitely good." 

"Well, it tastes good to me. Kind of like whale blubber with a hint of wild nettle. You know, Ray, nettles can be very good if they're prepared properly. The Inuit ..." 

"Benny," Ray interrupted. 

"Yes, Ray dear." 

"You talk *way* too much." 

"Understood." 

The tasting continued, along each collarbone and then back to the middle. Nuzzling the patch of hair in the center. And finally making his way to a pink nipple. First the right one, a quick lick which brought an answering moan. A longer suck, a louder moan. A gentle sucking nip, and a soft exclamation. During all this, Ray wasn't idle, his hands making long sweeps up and down Benny's back. Nails digging in whenever Fraser hit a particularly sensitive spot. 

"Hmmm, that's that side. Now for the other. I have to make a thorough comparison." 

"Oh, God, yes. Don't forget the other side," came the breathless response. 

Benny gave Ray's left nipple the same loving treatment until Ray was slowly writhing in time to the gentle rhythmic suction. 

"Don't stop there, Benny. Please... keep going... ohhh. 

"Very well, Ray. But I like the taste of your nipples so much. The right one tastes a bit like spruce but the left is closer to Norway pine. 

"That's .. that's nice, Benny. What's the rest of me taste like?" 

"Your belly..." a pause for a thorough sample "tastes like sweat with a slight tang of semen. You must have been, um, leaking during the afternoon." 

"All day, Benny. I've been thinking about this all day. ... Could you ... taste me there, Benny?" He hurried to add, "Only if you want to of course." 

"I've just been saving the best 'til last, Ray." 

Then he took a long lick up Ray's penis, from root to tip. When he reached the crown, and got a concentrated taste of his new love's excitement something in him snapped. Suddenly the calm, gentle, in-control Benton Fraser was taken over by a wildman. He barely managed a strangled, "Sorry, Ray, but I have to do this," when Ray found himself engulfed by the warmest, wettest, most voracious mouth he ever known. Sheets of fire raced along his veins as his response was wrenched from him. Wave after wave of pleasure raced along his nerve endings. 

"Oh, Benny ... oh God ... yes ... so good ... oh ... ohhhh ... oh, I love you ... oh, yes..." 

Fraser's urgency was transmitted to him and quicker than he thought possible, he reached his peak and exploded into his waiting lover's mouth. Benny frantically sucked down every drop, as if the world would end if he didn't get every savory bit. Finally, they both collapsed gasping on the bed. 

"I'm sorry, Ray. I couldn't help it. I just needed to taste you so badly," Fraser groaned. 

"Hey, Benny," Ray panted, "it's okay. Anytime." 

When Ray was finally able to speak again, "So what's the diagnosis, Benny?" 

"You're the best thing I've ever tasted." 

"Well, now it's *my* turn." 

That night they slept content, all senses satisfied. 

* * * * The next day: 

"Hey, Frazer, Ray," called Elaine, "Come and get a piece of my mom's homemade banana bread." 

Ray and Frazer went over to Elaine's desk to sample the treat. 

"Isn't that the best thing you ever tasted?!" 

While helping Ray, who seemed to have had a crumb go down the wrong way, Frazer replied, "Well, it's very good, Elaine. But not, I'm afraid the best thing I've ever tasted. Sorry." 

With a small smile, he turned to Ray and said, "Come on, Ray. We have to get that report to Lt. Welsh. Good day, Elaine." 

As he and Ray walked off, Elaine could have sworn that the grin got just a little wider. 

End note: Believe it or not, I actually have more of an anal personality than an oral one, but I can guess which kind both Benny and Ray have. Benny is obvious, and just think how much Ray loves good food. 


End file.
